Water Quality Trading – Point Source for Non-point Source Sediments: Piasa Creek Watershed Project Illinois-American Water Company & Great Rivers Land Trust

Legend of the Piasa Bird

Location of Alton IL

Great River Road Scenic Highway

Old Alton Water Treatment Facility

Wet Alton Water Treatment Facility

New Alton Water Treatment Facility

The Challenge Old facility –Site specific exemption –Non-standard NPDES permit –Direct discharge allowed –Exempt from TSS and total iron effluent standards New facility –Old regulatory relief does not apply –Must apply for/justify new relief

The Regulators IL Pollution Control Board (IPCB) –Writes environmental law –Arbitrates contested issues IL EPA –Administers/enforces environmental law –Writes/issues NPDES permit –Cannot write a permit that IL law does not allow for

The Stakeholders Owner, Illinois-American Water Company Regulators, IEPA, IPCB Local Interest Groups (economic, aesthetic) Environmental groups (local, state, national) Customers

The Study (SSIS) Site Specific Impact Study ENSR environmental engineers Consider all regulatory tests (BPJ,BPT, BCT) Compare residual management control technologies Two Alternatives –Lagoons, dewatering, landfilling –Direct discharge

The comparison Lagoon & Landfill –$7.4 million capital costs, $0.42 million annual O&M –Avg 4 trucks/day on Scenic Route 3 –8,800 yd 3 /yr of landfill space –Local Opposition Direct Discharge –No water quality impacts –No landfill depletion –No aesthetic impacts on area –No cost –No brainer (?)

The Impacts SSIS findings: –TSS impact insignificant –91% of solids originate from river –Metals nil (note reliance on PAS) –No harm to aquatic life –No unnatural buildup –Mussel survey no problems IEPA – nope!

The Solution Partnership with Great Rivers Land Trust (GRLT) –Piasa Creek Watershed Plan –Sustainable reduction in overall sediment loading to the Mississippi River –IL-AWC contribution of $4.15 million over 10-year period –Minimum 2:1 reduction (6600 ton/year) Regulatory Approval –IEPA, IPCB –Adjusted Standard AS 99-6 written into IL law –Terms of AS 99-6 and contract w/GRLT written into special conditions of NPDES permit

Great Rivers Land Trust Local Non-Profit Organization Primary Mission: –Preservation of scenic and ecologically valuable land along the Alton Lake Heritage Corridor, 20,000 acres –Land preservation efforts accomplished through easements and land acquisitions –Goal: 5,000 to 10,000 acres protected in next 10 years

Piasa Creek Watershed Plan Primary Objective: –To enhance and restore the natural non-point source pollutant mitigation functions of the watershed

Piasa Creek Watershed

Watershed Major Problem Areas Planning and Regulation Sewage Stormwater Runoff and Erosion –Uncontrolled urbanization –Sediment –Road salts, fertilizers, pesticides –Septic tank effluent –Other pollutants

Meeting the Objective Land acquisition and conservation easements Grassed waterways Filter strips Storm water detention basins Terraces Grade control structures Stream bank stabilization Educational programs (communities, schools, landowners)

Project Timeline Year 1 (2001): Update 1995 plan, identify potential sediment reduction sites, contact landowners. Years 2-5: Install sediment control structures. Year 6: IEPA review. Years 6-10: Installation of sediment control structures continues. Achieve 2:1 suspended solids reduction.

Project Metrics Goal 6600 tons/year sediment reduction Use accepted sediment control practices Sediment savings estimated in partnership with SWCD Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation Resource inventory worksheets for each project Projected year-end 2003: 2613 tons/year

Streambank Erosion

Streambank Stabilization

Storm water basins

Erosion control

Boy Scout Lake

The Benefits Avoid capital and O&M $ for lagooning, landfilling Rate impact on customer reduced No sludge hauling trucks along the Great River Road Save landfill space Reduced net sediment load to the river Precedent/model for other creative beneficial partnerships

Questions? Brent Gregory, Director Water Quality Illinois-American Water Company